Post COVID-19 Syndrome is when the symptoms of the COVID-19 virus do not disappear after the initial infection. If the symptoms last for more than 12 weeks after the initial infection, you are likely to have Post COVID or more commonly known as Long COVID.
This NHS page has more information on symptoms and other links.
If your GP believes you may have Post COVID19 Syndrome they can refer you to the Post Covid Assessment Service. They must ensure they have completed all the relevant tests prior to referring you to the service, the relevant tests can be found on the referral form. You will then be assessed by one of our GP’s who will confirm if you do have Post COVID19 Syndrome and signpost you to the correct support services.
The NICE Guidelines for Post COVID19 Syndrome can support you or your GP to further your understanding of the condition.
The Post COVID19 Assessment Service requires a GP referral, this includes the GP completing our referral form and ensuring they have completed all of the investigations required. Further information can be found on the Information for Referrers page.
The above image is a flowchart showing the journey through the service. It will be described in more detail now.
Journey through Post COVID-19 Assessment Service
If you GP believes you to have Post COVID-19 Syndrome they will refer you.
The referral will be triaged to ensure all correct tests have been completed within the set time frame. Any outstanding tests will result in a rejected referral returned to your GP. If your referral is accepted you will be contacted by a Health Navigator to explain the next process.
You will then be placed on a waiting list to have an appointment with our GP. During this appointment you may be signposted to other services including;
Physiotherapy
English National Opera
HOPE programme
Talking Therapies
Nuffield Rehab
Peer Support
Fatigue Management
After this appointment a Health navigator will contact you again to ensure your understanding of the information provided in the appointment and any referrals that may follow.
If you do not require another appointment with the Post COVID GP 12 weeks after your first appointment, you will be discharged from the assessment service. A Health Navigator will contact you prior to this date. Being discharged from the assessment service has no impact on other referrals to, for example, physiotherapy, or fatigue management.
If you are referred for fatigue management you will be referred into the ME/CFS service for support with your Post COVID-19 syndrome fatigue.
You will then be offered to attend online fatigue management groups. After these groups you will be offered further 1:1 support, you have 12 weeks after the end of your last group to request further support. If we do not hear from you in that time, you will be discharged.
If you request 1:1 appointments, you will be contacted by the Health Navigators to offer activity diary support sessions. You can also request to attend a one-off online employment workshop. Once all further support is completed, you will be discharged.
Triage
Once your GP has referred you into the service, your referral will be triaged. If you have not had all necessary tests or the form is not correctly completed, your referral will be returned to your GP, the tests must have been completed within a recent time frame. If your referral is accepted, you will receive a phone call from one of our health navigators to inform you your referral has been accepted and explain the next steps. (This is likely to be from a withheld number).
Appointment with GP
You will then be invited to have a 1:1 appointment with one of our GP’s. This may be via video consultation or over the telephone.
At this consultation the GP will discuss the history of your illness, your past medical history and medications, ongoing symptoms, and any other factors relevant to your condition.
They will confirm if you do have Post COVID-19 Syndrome and agree a management plan moving forward. This may involve referral to other services, signposting you to relevant information, or requesting your GP to complete further tests or referrals.
Depending on your symptoms, some patients may be referred to; our Post Covid Physio for support with Breathlessness, The English National Opera course, Talking Therapies, the online HOPE programme for living with a Long-Term condition, Nuffield rehab programme or any other relevant services.
The Health Navigators will contact you after this appointment to discuss the referrals and advice provided and ensure you understand the next steps.
Peer support
If you have post-COVID-19 syndrome you may find it helpful to meet people in the same position. Talking with others who know how you’re feeling is a great support and can help you identify new ways of managing your symptoms.
The groups are held online. We currently run groups on a Monday morning or a Monday evening, both groups run fortnightly. The groups run for an hour. You can drop in as little and often as you like.
You will be offered to attend the groups once you have had your appointment with the PCAS GP.
The groups are run by our facilitator Liz. If you need to contact us about the support groups you can do this via the following email address: peersupportgroupPCAS@somersetft.nhs.uk OR postcovid19recovery@somersetft.nhs.uk
Fatigue Management
If you are experiencing Fatigue as a symptom of your Post COVID-19 Syndrome you will be referred to the ME/CFS Service for support with your Fatigue Management. This does NOT mean you have now been diagnosed with ME/CFS.
As part of the fatigue management support, you will be offered to attend 4 online group workshops. These will include introducing self-management strategies to support you living with fatigue and additional information from our Post COVID Physiotherapist around Breathing Pattern Disorder.
They run consecutively on either a Tuesday or Wednesday at 10:30am via Microsoft Teams. Please aim to arrive 5-10 minutes early.
You will be sent a link to your email address for the groups the day before, you do not need to have a Microsoft teams account to attend the workshops. If you have not received an email, please check your junk mailbox.
If you are unable to attend the workshop, you must inform us prior to the sessions as you will be documented as a ‘did not attend’ and be at risk of being discharged from the service. If you are having difficulties logging on to the meeting, please call the service number and ask for support.
You will be sent 4 booklets with information covered in the workshops via email prior to attending. If you require these in paper format, please let us know. It may be useful to familiarise yourself with this information before the workshop.
The above image is a flowchart explaining the journey through the fatigue management groups, this will be described in words below.
There are currently four groups offered these cover:
Group 1 – What is Post COVID-19 Syndrome, introduction to activity diaries, pacing and living at a baseline
Group 2 – Stress management and effective rest
Group 3 – Sleep, communication and setback management
Group 4 – Cognitive Dysfunction and brain fog
The first 3 groups also include a 10 minute session on breathing pattern disorder from our physio.
Once you have completed all groups you will be placed on a 12 week open appointment, you have 12 weeks to request further support from us including 1:1 support. If we do not hear from you in that time you will be discharged.
If you do request 1:1 you will then be contacted by a Health Navigator to offer support sessions with activity diaries. Once you have completed your allocated appointments and in agreement with you and your practitioner you will be discharged.
1:1 Follow Up
Once you have completed the fatigue management workshops you will be offered 1:1 follow up sessions with a fatigue practitioner. These sessions aim to apply the self-management strategies and information covered in the workshops, to your individual life.
This is an opt in option, you must inform us, via email, after the workshops if you would like to have 1:1 sessions. You will then be placed on the waiting list. If we do not hear from you 12 weeks after your last workshop, we will discharge you.
Follow up sessions are approximately 45 mins – 1 hour long. They are generally carried out via video consultation. Your first appointment will likely be an information gathering exercise for your practitioner to get to know you and how the condition impacts you.
If you are unable to attend your appointment, you must let us know. If you do not attend your appointment without informing us, we will contact you via post. If we do not hear from you within 2 weeks, we will discharge you from the service. If you do not attend 2 consecutive appointments without informing us 48 hours prior to the appointment, we will discharge you.
During your follow up sessions your fatigue practitioner will aim to set a plan of discussion for the appointment, discuss the main points, set goals for your next appointment.
It is important you feel you are currently in a place to manage behaviour change or inputting self-management strategies into your life. Not everyone will be ready at the same time, and it may be sensible to wait until you are in a position to manage this before attending the service.
Activity Diary Support
If after the fatigue management workshops, you are unsure about how to complete activity diaries, you can request additional support from the health navigators.
Your fatigue practitioner may also advise you have an additional appointment with one of the health navigators once you have started working together.
Employment Workshop
We provide a one off, online employment workshop for anyone living with Post COVID 19 Syndrome trying to return to employed work.
This workshop provides information and helpful advice to support people to return to work after being unwell.
The workshop runs approximately every 6 weeks on a Wednesday 10:30 – 12:30. The information is aimed at people who are currently employed by someone else, but some of the information may be of value to someone who is currently self-employed.
You will be informed how to attend the workshop during the fatigue management groups.
Information for referrers
If you have a patient who has persistent symptoms, lasting more than 12 weeks following a COVID infection please consider a referral to the Post Covid Assessment Service.
Criteria for Referral:
The patient:
Is 18 years or older (separate referral to paediatrics for under 18 years)
Had suspected or confirmed COVID-19 >12 weeks before the point of referral.
Is not currently under active follow-up in secondary care following COVID-19 hospitalisation.
Has persistent disabling symptoms that require specialist assessment.
Has all of the initial investigations as specified on service referral form, within two months of the referral.
Does not have an alternative cause for their symptoms following appropriate clinical assessment.
Please complete the referral form (below, it can also be prepopulated on EMIS) and all requested tests and email to postcovid19recovery@somerset.nhs.uk.
